First Look: Magellan enters the US market with the Cyclo 505 and Cyclo 315
Magellan is one of the oldest names in the GPS category of products and they are bringing their Cyclo 505 and Cyclo 315 bike computers to the American market. Currently, the U.S. market is dominated by a giant in the industry, but Magellan remains undaunted.
We talked to Sam Muscariello, Magellan’s Outdoor Product Marketing Director and he explained, “The UI (User Interface) on our unit is super, super simple to use. It is intuitively obvious on what you need to do to start using our computer. Most people can get started within minutes without reading the manual.”
The Cyclo 505 and 315 hold multiple profiles, so that a single rider can create up to 6 different profiles that allows him to move the unit from their road bike to their mountain bike to their commuter and so forth. Besides the extensive GPS information the unit provides, there is also a bundle option with a heart rate monitors strap, speed sensor and cadence sensor (the HRM strap and speed/cadence sensors are an additional $70 over the base $429 price). The 505 is also power trainer compatible.
Besides ease of use, how does Magellan hope to compete against Garmin? Magellan preloads its products with maps – Teleatlas and OSM (Open Street Map) network at no extra charge or licensing fee. It comes ready to ride straight out of the box.
Another cool feature is that both the Cyclo 505 and 315 integrate with Shimano’s Di2 drivetrains (including XTR Di2) and will show gear selection on its display as well as battery levels and a host of other configurable types of data.
The interface is also customizable so the user can select only the types of data that they are interested in monitoring real time, including GPS functions. If you like having your gear indicator, speed, HRM and elevation available to you at a glance, then you can select just those fields and leave other fields off your main screen.
For the Cyclo 505 you get very cool, integrated phone features like being able to see who is calling you before you pick up (providing they are in your contacts list), text messages show on the Cyclo screen and you can also control your music selections. Of course, like most computers, there are a multitude of recording options. And yes, it auto uploads to Strava. Automatic uploads to Edomondo, Training Peaks and MapMyRide are coming very soon (within weeks).
The last feature to highlight is called “Surprise Me” and is a type of auto-routing. Muscariello explains, “I like to go to places I’ve never been to before and ride. Just ride…just to see the local sights and hear the sounds. I can tell my Cyclo either time or distance…I want to ride for 4 hours or for 45 miles and it will give me up to 3 options for a cycling route. It will calculate a route based on the parameters I input (type of bike, my age, etc.) The little mountain icons that show up give me a gauge as to how difficult that particular route will be. You can also preview the ride on the computer screen. Once you find one you like, just hit “go” and you’re off. Full turn-by-turn instructions with visual and audio alerts (the audible beeps can be turned off for a more serene ride).”
The Cyclo 505 is the top of the line GPS computer that is compatible with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ANT+ and works on either Android or iOS platforms (unlike the competition). The Cyclo 505 has a base MSRP of $429. The Cyclo 315 has less connectivity options (no Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or ANT+) than the 505 and also has no power meter compatibility, text and phone call alerts or music controls. But it also carries a lower MSRP of $379. Both are available now from your local Magellan dealer. Interested bike shop dealers can find Magellan products distributed by QBP or Shimano.
For more information visit www.magellangps.com
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